What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination for secondary school, used by both state-funded grammar schools and many private schools to identify the most academically-able children. The exam is taken towards the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6 of primary school. he content and structure of the 11+ exam varies between different areas of the country, but it will generally focus on a combination of the following four subjects: - English - Maths - Verbal reasoning - Non-verbal reasoning Although the content of the English and maths tests tend to follow the National Curriculum, verbal, and non-verbal reasoning are not subjects that are taught as part of the curriculum in state primary schools. The 11+ is not a compulsory test and it is completely up to you to decide if you want your child to apply to a grammar school. However, in some areas (Buckinghamshire, for example), children are still automatically registered for the 11+ and you need to opt out if you don’t want your child to sit the exam.

The 11+ is an exam given by selective secondary schools (a school that can choose who and who not to accept based on certain criteria) for entry into Year 7. The school or schools applied to make an entry decision based on a prospective student’s score on the exam. It is mostly offered by grammar schools as independent schools use the Common Entrance exam at 13. It is a timed exam lasting between 45 to 60 minutes, and the test given can be different in each school and region. Tests are on either all or some combination of Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English. There are two boards: GR and CEM, and both differ slightly. The content which can be examined for Mathematics and English is usually covered by the National Curriculum (the standard knowledge the government requires every school to teach). Verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning tests are different in that they challenge ability, not knowledge. However, both areas often require constructive practice as students have rarely if ever encountered these types of questions before, and so may not know how to approach them or understand the reasoning for correct answers.